Thermal valve.



H. STEWART.

THERMAL VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.3 i914 I Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

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QLULS,

H. STEWART.

THERMAL VALVE.

APPLICATION HLED AUG.3. 1914 Llll. Paented Nov. 16, 1915.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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HAROLD STEWART, OF WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR T0 STEWART-KELLY AUTOMATIC DRAIN VALVE COMPANY, OF WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON.

THERMAL VALVE.

Specification 'of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

Application led August 3, 1914. Serial No. 854,780.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HAROLD STEWART,

a citizen 4of the United States, residing at The valve which is the subject-matter of i the present application for patent is designed more particularly for use in connection with automobile radiators to prevent injury by 'freezing of the water, the valve automatically opening t drain the radiator whenever the temperature drops to the freezing point. It may be here stated that the invention is not limited to automobile radiators', but may with equal facility be lapplied to other water containers -or piping systems liable to damage by freezing.

Theinvention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient valve of the kind stated,

and to this end it consists in a novel combinat1on and arrangement of parts tolbe hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is an elevation showing the application lof the valve to. an auotomobile radiator; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the valve, and Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrams of the electric circuits employed.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 10 denotes a pipe connected to the radiator 11 of an automobile. In order to drain the radiator when the temperature drops to the freezing point and thus preventinjury'toy the radiator, or to the piping system and the water jacket of the engine, there is providedr an automatic drain valve which is constructed as follows: The casing of the valve is indicated at 12. The upper end of the casing is closed by a` gap 13 having a nipple 14 for connection to the pipe 10,

through which nipple the water entersrthe casing. In the center of the casing is mounted adrain tube 15 having at its upper end an enlarged portion 16 which seats in a corresponding enlarged portion 17 of the valve casing and is held in place therein by the cap 13. .This drain tube is in line with the inlet through thev nipple 14 and its upper end is open so that the water which enters the valve casing may flow down the tube. The lower end ofthe tube is also open and has ythe outside of the valve casing 12.y is mounted a block 24 of insulation carrying binding posts 25, 26 and 27, respectively. The binding post 25 is connected by a insulated wire 28 to one end of the magnet winding 23, the other end of which lat-ter passes through a piece 29 of insulation and is electrically connected to a spring 30 having a platinum contact point 31 designed to make contact with a platinum contact point 32 on the armature 21. The armature has a hole 33 to accom-l modate the insulation 29, which acts as a guide to keep the contact points 31 and 32 in line. The armature extends across the lower en d of the drain tube 15 and has openings 34 registering withijsiid end of the tube to permit the water to flow through when the valve 19 is unseated. In the drain tube 15 is located a thermal switch for controlling the magnet circuit. This switch comprises a thermometer 35' in the casing of which is mounted, so as to move with the mercury' column, a platinum wire 36 having a glass insulation 37 and a contact point 38 at'its upper end. The upper end of the thermometer casing or tube has a bulbous enlargement' 39 in which the contact point 38 is located. Across the bulb 39v extends a wire contact 40 with which the point 38 makes contact when the mercury column drops as it indicates the freezing point. The contact 40 is connected by an insulated wire 41 to .the binding post 26, from which latter a conductor 42 leads to 011e side of a battery 43 49 to a push button Ior other switch 50 mounted on'the dash 51 of the car as shown in Fig. 1. The switch is wired to the conductor y 42 as indicated at 52. The lower end of the valve casing 12 carries a slidable spring latch pin 53 insertible into the outlet tube 47 to engage the bottom ofthe sleeve 48 and thus hold the valve 19 open. The thermometer is held in placein the tube 15 by\being mounted between two coiled springs 54 which prevents injury from jars and jolts.

The operation Ais as follows: When the temperature is above the freezing point, the contacts 38 and 40'are separated, and the magnet circuit is broken. The armature 20 has dropped down andcairied the valve 19 to its seat,l and the points 31 and 32 are in contact. The drain is now closed. When the temperature falls to 34O or, in other words, is slightly abovel the freezing point, the mercury column, upon descending in the thermometer tube, brings the contact 38 down against the contact 40, thus closing the magnet circuit. The circuit may be traced as follows: from one side of battery 43 byI conductors 42 and 41 to contacts 38 and 40, mercury column in thermometer, ground wire 45 to valve casing 12, contacts 32 and 31, spring 30, magnet winding 23, wire 28, binding post 25, and thence by the way of conductor 44 to the other side of the battery. The magnet being now energized,l its armature 21 is attracted, and'as said armature carries the valve 19, the latter is unseated to open the drain. At the end of the travel of the armature the latch pin shoots forward and comes beneath the bottom edge of the sleeve 48 andv thus holds the armature in position to keep the valve open, this being necessary as the magnet circuit is broken by the separation of the points 31 and 32, which takes place when the armature starts to move. The magnet circuit is thus broken at the points 31 and 32, and a waste of current is prevented.

To iill the radiator after it has been drained, the latch pin` 53 is withdrawn, which allows the 'armature 21 t0 drop, carrying the valve 19 back to its seat, and placing the points 31 and 32 in contact.

The conductors 49 and 52 allow the magnet circuit to be closed regardless of the temperature, so that the drain valve may be opened at. will. When the switch 50 is closed, the magnet is energized, thecircuit being as follows: from one switch point to battery 43 by conductor 52, to magnet wind-- ing 23 by conductors 44 and 28, spring'30, ,contacts 31 and 32, armature 21, and thence bygconductor 49 to the other switch point. v '1 claim:

1. A thermal valve comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a drain tube open at one end to the inlet and having at its opposite end a valve seat opening to the outlet, a valve for said seat, an electro-magnet to the armature of which the valve is -connected, an electric circuit in which the aforesaid tube.

2. A thermal valve comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a drain tube open at one end to the inlet and having at its opposite end a, valve seat opening to the Y outlet, a valve for said seat, an electro-magnet to the armature of whichA the valve is connected, said magnet being located in the valve casing and its core having an opening in which the drain tube is mounted, an electric circuit in which the magnet is interposed, said circuit including a source of elec tric energy, and a thermal switch in the magnet circuit, the thermal element of said switch being mounted in the aforesaid tube.

3. Athermal valve comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, ka drain tube open at one end to the inlet and having at its opposite end a valve seat opening to the outlet, a valve for said seat, an electro-,magnet to the armature of which the valve'is connected, said magnet being located in the valve casing, and its armature being adjacent to the outlet end of the tube and having a fiuid passage, an electric circuit in which the magnet is interposed, said circuit includinga sourceof electric energy, and 'a thermal switch in the magnet circuit, the

thermal element of said switch being mounty ed in the aforesaid tube.

4.' A thermal valve comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a drain tube open at one end to the inlet and having Aat its opposite end a valve seat opening to the outlet, a valve for said seat, an electro-magnet to the armature of which the valve 'is connected, said magnet being located in the valve casing and its core having an opening in which the drain tube is mounted, the armature of the ma et being ad`acent to the outlet end of t e tube and aving a `fluid passage, an electric circuit in which the i magnet is interposed, said circuit including opposite end a valve seat opening to the outlet, a valve for said seat normally in closed position, an electro-magnet to the armature of which the valve is connected, said ma net being located in the valve casing an its' core having an opening in which the drain tube is mounted, an electric circuit in which the magnet is interposed, said circuit including a source of electric energy, a thermal switch in the magnet circuit, the thermal element of said switch being mounted in the vaforesaid tube, and a latch carried by the valve casing and engageable With the armature for locking the same in position to hold the valve open after the latter has been operated.

6. A thermal valve comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a; valve controlling the outlet, ,an electro-magnet to the armature of which ythe-valve is connected, and said armature being electrically connected to the valve caysingLa thermal switch having one side grounded on the valve casing, a source of electric energy to one side of which the other side of the thermal switch is connected, the other side of said source of electric energy beingconnected to one end of the magnet winding,'a contact to which the other end of the magnet Winding is connected, a contact on the armature located opposite the aforesaid contact, and an auxiliary switch having connection With the valveA casing and with that side ofthe source of .electric energy to IWhich the second-mentioned side of the thermal switch is connected for closing the magnet circuit inden pendent of the thermal switch. y

7. A thermal valve comprising a casing .having an inlet and an outlet, an electrol magnet in the casing, the core of said magnet having an opening which is in line with the inlet and outlet of he casing, a valve seatin said core opening, a valve for said seat carried by the armature of the magnet,

an electric circuit in which the magnet is v interposed, said circuit including a source of electric energy, and a thermal switch in the magnet circuit, the thermal element of said switch being in the core opening.

8. A thermal valve comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, an electromagnet in the casing, the core of said magnet having an opening which is inline with the inlet and-outlet of the casing, a valve seat in said core opening, a valve for said seat carried by the armature of the magnet,`

said armature having a fluid passage, an electric circuit in 'which the magnet is inter posed, said circuit including a source of electric energy, and a thermal switch in the magnet circuit, the thermal element of said switch being in the core opening.

9. A thermal valve comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, an electromagnet in the casing, the core of said-magnet having an opening which is in line with the inlet and outlet of the casing, a lvalve seat in said core opening, a valve for said Seat carriedby the armature of the magnet,

HAROLD STEWART. Witnesses C. M. WmBUr, A. T. BEDELL. 

